By Rick Gables
New HBO comedy series Avenue 5 debuts on Sunday, Jan. 19, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The series is set 40 years in the future when traveling the solar system is no longer the stuff of sci-fi fantasy, but a booming, multibillion-dollar business. Avenue 5 stars Hugh Laurie as Ryan Clark, the confident and suave captain of a space cruise ship with luxury amenities like gourmet buffets, a spa, an observation deck and yoga classes. As the series begins, Avenue 5‘s eight-week journey around Saturn is underway and its systems are optimal. But when the ship suddenly encounters technical difficulties, it’s up to Ryan and his crew to calm the disgruntled passengers and find a way to deal with unexpected events onboard – though they may or may not be equipped for the task. The cast also includes Josh Gad, Zach Woods, Rebecca Front, Suzy Nakamura, Lenora Crichlow, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Ethan Phillips. Then, at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT, HBO will premiere the new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Yep, Larry David is back stumbling through one faux-pas after another. As candid, unsparing and outrageous as ever, this hit comedy series revolves around a fictionalized, gleefully misanthropic version of David as an ubiquitous camera chronicles the private, often banal world of this (relatively) public man. Other returning series regulars include Susie Essman, Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, Richard Lewis and JB Smoove.
The Circus returns for its fifth season on Sunday, Jan. 26, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME, a week for the cruicial Iowa Democratic caucuses. After covering the burgeoning field of Democratic presidential candidates and their campaigns around the country, along with the Ukraine scandal that led to the historic impeachment inquiry into President Trump’s conduct, season four had its finale on Nov. 10. The series is hosted by John Heilemann, Mark McKinnon and Alex Wagner. Heilemann is national affairs analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, where he appears regularly and co-author of bestsellers Game Change and Double Down. McKinnon has served as chief media advisor to five successful presidential Primary and general election campaigns. Alex Wagner is a special correspondent for CBS News, a successful author, and a contributing editor at The Atlantic.